Questions tagged [mesorah-tradition]
The different traditions passed down through the generations.
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Does Halakhah require one to believe in Gilu'i Eliyahu, Gilu'i Maggid, and the like?
I have heard many stories from many independent sources about Rabbis receiving teachings via individual revelation in the form of Gilu'i Eliyahu (i.e. "the appearance of Eliyahu") or Gil'ui Maggid (e....
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Succession of Leadership in the Rambam's Introduction to the Mishnah
In the Introduction to the Mishnah, the Rambam lists the leadership through the years from Moshe to Rav Ashi. Is there a source for each link in this chain, showing that successive leaders were ...
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Community without tzitzith
Are/were there any halachic Jewish communities that do/did not have a daily custom of wearing a garment obligated in tzitzith (e.g. tallith katan/tallith gadol)?
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Practical suggestions for choosing between different nuschaot in the Torah
Unfortunately, it's not hard to find places in the Torah, and even more so in Nach, where we have a doubt about either the trop or the nekudot. (Or, more rarely, letters, but those are generally the ...
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How to deal with uncertainties in the Torah that lead to a change in meaning?
In Vayikra 14:19, there are different versions of the trop, and unlike most of them, this difference causes a change in the meaning of the words:
וְכִפֶּ֕ר עַל־הַמִּטַּהֵ֖ר מִטֻּמְאָת֑וֹ
(zakef-gadol,...
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Changes in Halacha [closed]
Is Halacha (specifically Halacha, not minhag) capable of changing, or is it an immutable constant? In other words, is Halacha an inflexible set of rules that never bend to societal needs, scientific ...
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How do we know that the Judaic calendar should be primarily lunar based?
There is nowhere in the Torah that specifically mentions that the calendar cycle is to be based mainly on a lunar cycle. (I'm intentionally omitting the notion of the solar / seasonal influence of ...
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Do Jews accept The Book of the Wars of the Lord (סֵפֶר מִלְחֲמֹת יהוה) as an authentic part of Tanach
Do Jews accept The Book of the Wars of the Lord (סֵפֶר מִלְחֲמֹת יהוה) as an authentic part of Tanach?
"From there they set out and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the desert and ...
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Why were different pronunciations allowed in the first place? [duplicate]
The following question might be a duplicate of How could different pronunciations arise when we are obligated to pronounce the Shema precisely?
Why did our Rabbonim however many hundreds of years ...
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Torah transmission according to the Rambam
the Rambam in the introduction to Mishne Torah counts 40 generations from Moshe Rabeinu to Rav Ashi (compiler of the talmud) in the transmission of the oral law and lists the names of these sages.
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Is there any particular standard recension/variation of the masoretic tradition that scribes use for torah scrolls in shul?
I don't know if i'm entirely correct in this, but I understand that there have in the past been variations in malai and chaser, throughout both the ashkenazi and sephardi world..
And then there was ...
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Are the conventional chapter divisions of any entire books of Tanach originally from Jewish tradition?
In general, the conventional division of the books of Tanach into chapters is not based on Jewish tradition but on Christian invention. However, there are some books of Tanach in which various ...
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Can the Rabbinic council and tradition hold the authority to overrule God's words and scriptures?
How does orthodox Jews see rabbinic disagreements and on what basis do believers determine which school of thought to follow? Does majority decides what is truth, and since even today there exist many ...
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What was in the Holy Incense of the ancient Hebrews of Exodus 30:34–38?
In Exodus 30:34–38, we read the following:
34 And the Lord said to Moses: “Take sweet spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, and pure frankincense with these sweet spices; there shall be equal ...
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Is there a source in Judaism that uses the word "Mesora" to refer to the masoretic tradition?
I am familiar with the term Mesora to mean not just any tradition but particularly - Oral tradition, in the sense of, the mishna, or traditions or midrashim brought forth in the talmud.
I was ...
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Mom And Baby Talk
What do other Jewish moms do with their babies?
I have a six month old baby. I want her to learn Torah from the first words she speaks.
I don't live around other Jewish people, we've only been ...
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Who was Rav Moshe Margolis's Rav?
I'm currently making a Mesorah chart (I know there are some out there, I just wanted to do it myself). I've gotten all the way back to the Vilna Gaon's Rav, Rav Moshe Margolis, but I can't find any ...
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Why does the Torah write the 3rd person fem. pronoun as הוא? [duplicate]
Other than it being Massoretic, is there a reason as to why, in most cases, (See Avot Derabbi Natan 42:5 for list of exceptions) the Torah chooses to write the word for the fem. 3rd person as הוא ...
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Why do third-person singular female qal verbs lack a gaʿya?
The word הָיְתָ֣ה appears in the model Masoretic codices without a gaʿya on the initial ה in several places (e.g. Isaiah 1:21 in L [facsimile] & A). Likewise, זָכְרָ֥ה lacks a gaʿya (e.g. Nehamiah ...
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Does Rabbinic Literature misunderstand the infinitive absolute?
The infinitive absolute is a conjugation classified generally by a qametz under the first consonant, and a holem or holem - vav by the second. According to the Cambridge Introduction to Biblical ...
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Why is "(his) song" in Psalms 42:9 written in the feminine form?
In Psalms 42:9, (his) song is written with a ה yet apparently recited with a ו. Is there a significance to it being written in the feminine form?
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Why Pesucha between Lo Sisa and Zachor Es HaShabbos?
In the Aseres HaDibros in Yisro, why is there Pesucha at the end of Lo Sisa and before Zachor Es HaShabbos, while the rest are separated by stumos?
Edit: Besides being out of place in Yisro, In V'...
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Ancient Jewish Essene texts and history
Recently when I visited Israel my family had a wonderful experience seeing the Dead Sea Scrolls and learning about Jewish life in the desert. When I grew up I had so little knowledge of this. I have 2 ...
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Are songbirds Kosher?
In Leviticus and Deuteronomy, there are sections that give a seemingly comprehensive list of non-Kosher birds. They are mainly birds of prey, not songbirds or birds like that.
I know that there is no ...
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What is the basis that allows Rabbis to create laws?
I understand that the Torah gives instructions to obey Judges for legal cases and questions, but what is the basis that Rabbis have for creating new laws, such as for celebrating Chanukah with a ...
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Division of Parshiyot in Tanach – Same or Seperate Nevuah?
I had a question about the Masoretic divisions in the Tanach, specifically the "פ" and "ס" notations.
I know that the division into chapters was a Christian development that has ...
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Why can't we distribute mitzvah obligations around the community?
How do we know from the Torah that it would not be sufficient just to have some people doing davening, others doing negel vasser, others doing tzitzit, others doing hachnosas kallah, others doing ...
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What is the total amount and count of pesukim in the Torah?
After much research, both on Israeli websites (here) and other locations, I have yet to figure out what the total amount of pesukim there are in the Torah. I've even physically counted the pesukim in ...
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Mesorah (Tradition) of Yemenite Jews
Yemenite Jews have a famous, longstanding affinity for Rambam. Before the time of Rambam, which rabbis were the most influential in Yemen? E.g. Rav Saadya Gaon, local rabbis, etc.
Please provide ...
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Is there a historical, cultural, traditional, or scriptural explanation for the prevalence of Jews in the comedy business? [duplicate]
If you took the general demographic data for the U.S. and compared it to the demographics of professional comics and comedians in the U.S., I think you'd find that Jews are disproportionately ...
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Correct pronunciation on Jerusalem in Tehillim?
When Jersualem is חסר (no additional 'yud' at the end), in a Tehillim I have (Shai l'Moreh), it has a footnote that it should be pronounced the full way (Ye-RU-Sha-LaY-YIM) on Chapter 79 (and I think ...
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Does HaShem still do miracles in exile?
Are there any sources that HaShem still performs 'open miracles' even during the exile?
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List of petuchot and/or setumot in Eicha
This seems to be a stupid question to me but here goes.
Does anyone have a list of the petuchot and setumot for Megillat Eicha? I am on a train for the next several hours and my beautiful Koren ...
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Kri / K'tiv - Why were they created to start? [duplicate]
There are numerous places in the Torah (as well as the rest of Tanac"h) that have ktiv / kri conflicts. The word is written one way but pronounced differently.
For example, Numbers 1:16:
אֵ֚לֶּה ...
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What were Alter Halpern's main issues with Marcus Jastrow's Dictionary?
I have heard that Alter Halpern, a Rabbi in England, published an article or kuntres presenting issues with Marcus Jastrow's Dictionary (for the Talmud, midrash, targum), i.e Sefer HaMilim.
What ...
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Could any of the lamed-vovniks be a non-Jew?
I am referring to the concept of Tzadikim Nistarim (lamed-vovniks)—the 36 hidden saints in the world because of whose righteousness the world continues to exist—addressed in this passage:
As a ...
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Rabbi Akiva and Ketarim
In Menachos the Gemara relates the Moshe asked Hashem about the meaning of the "crowns" on many Hebrew letters as written in the Torah. Hashem then gives the following response:
אמר לו, אדם אחד יש ...
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Tracing the Tradition of HaRaM"A (Moshe Isserles)
In tracing the tradition of HaRav Shimshon Rafa'el Hirsch, I arrived at the famed RaM"A (Rav Moshe Isserles) with help from the beloved MY community. As Rabbi Lawrence Kelemen mentions having done in ...
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Tracing the Tradition of HaRav Shimshon Rafa'el Hirsch
I'm not sure if this is the proper forum for such an investigation; but, I'll pose the question and find out. I'm trying to trace the tradition received by HaRav Shimshon Rafa'el Hirsch through the ...
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Vegan tekheileth
Does the oral tradition that identifies the hilazon as the source of tekheles necessarily indicate that one could not create the indigo-colored wool by other means? The gemara certainly indicates that ...
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Which Knot to Use on Tefillin Shel Rosh
When I was a child, I saw that all people had the same knot on their Tefillin Shel Rosh - a Double Daled (Ashkenazi community).
Recently I saw a comment that even those who grew up with a Double ...
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Why no number of p'sukim for P'kude?
Many copies of Chumash list, after each parasha (weekly reading), the number of verses in that parasha. By and large, they omit it for parashas P'kude; why?
(And if the answer is that they copy the ...
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Parents teaching children or children teaching parents?
Regarding והגדת לבנך, and you shall tell to your children (Shemos 13:8), on Pesach night:
1) What is the mitzvah of והגדת לבנך and how does one fulfill it according to halacha?
2a) Why do yeshivos ...
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What is the source that forbids indecent dress by women?
I have been hardpressed finding a source for something that would seem to be such a well known Halacha. I (and most other too probably) have been brought up with the belief that it is forbidden for a ...
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Source for the oral traditions in Megillas Esther?
I'm trying to understand where the Rabbis in tractate Megillah get their information.
I thought that the way they interpret the five books of Moses was because they already knew all the laws and ...
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Have any of you ever heard anyone pronouncing ayin as "ng"?
I have read that historically the letter ayin was pronounced by some Dutch, Portuguese, and Italian Jews as a velar nasal consonant (ng as in sing). Reference to this can be found here, here, and here....
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Nusach Ashkenaz in Israel and Abroad
Over the years, I've noticed a number of differences between Ashkenaz siddurim published in Israel and those published outside of Israel. These differences include (but are not limited to):
Order of ...
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Is one allowed to become a Talmid HaRambam?
There is a movement of people (including several MiYodeya users I've seen) who believe in following the teachings of the Rambam exclusively, basing their practical halachot off the Mishneh Torah, ...
user5540
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Is there still a mesora on how to write the Torah in Greek?
Do we still have a mesora for the translation of the Torah into Greek, and if so, is this the LXX/Septuagint commonly used by Gentiles? Do we still have a mesorah for any other seforim into Greek?
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Is there anything wrong with messing with the rules of Dreidel?
In this article on Slate, Ben Blatt calls the classic rules of Dreidel "slow and unfair," citing simulation-based statistical analysis, and proposes his own modified rules to speed up the game.
Given ...
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